Thieves rummaged through pastor's desk at Templo Hermosa Church over the weekend.

Thieves rummaged through pastor's desk at Templo Hermosa Church over the weekend.

Photo: Templo Hermosa Church

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Templo La Hermosa | Google Maps

Templo La Hermosa | Google Maps

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Church members catch, hog-tie burglary suspect

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Some church members in southwest Houston turned the tables on a suspect who allegedly broke into their church, and they held the man until police arrived, Houston police said.

When the church alarm went off about 2:40 a.m. Saturday at Templo Hermosa Church, 6247 Willowbend Blvd., pastor Franklin Peraza called several church members from his Alief home and asked them to check things out, Peraza said. The church members live close by, he said.

"One of our members has a key so he opened the door and saw a man in my office, looking through the drawers, trying to find money," Peraza said. "He (member) stood by the door and held the lock so he (suspect) couldn't get out."

The suspect wasn't about to sit still, though. He tried to climb through the ceiling sheetrock to escape, but abandoned the idea and was held by parishioners until patrol officers arrived, according to a Houston Police Department press release.

"Two of our members held him down and taped his arm, while the ladies found some electrical cord so they could tie his feet," Peraza said.

Investigators said the suspect used a sledgehammer to break a hole in the brick wall of the church building..

A felony burglary of a building charge is pending against the 45-year-old suspect, said HPD spokeswoman Jodi Silva.

A second suspect in the burglary apparently slipped away, police said..

"Maybe they did it because they needed money, but before they do this in the house of the Lord, they better ask," he said.

The break-in wasn't the first for the 125-member church founded in 1994, Peraza said. About two weeks ago, thieves hammered a hole in the same wall to make off with a musical keyboard and two guitars, he said.

On Saturday, the burglars apparently planned to take an amplifier, monitor and a set of drums, Peraza said.

Police recovered several musical instruments from a field behind the church, according to investigators.

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